JP2014516738A5 - - Google Patents

Claims (15)

A medical device fitted with at least one tracking element;
An array of transducers spaced from one another, wherein the array of transducers exchanges energy in a subject between the at least one tracking element and the array of transducers to generate at least one virtual element ;
Interpreting signals sensed between the at least one tracking element and the array of transducers and associated with the transducers in the array such that the position of the at least one tracking element is determined in at least two dimensions. A triangulation module for calculating the time of flight of the received signal and locating the position of the medical device in a visual image;
An imaging system.   The system of claim 1, wherein the array of transducers is arranged in a one-dimensional array along one of a line and an arc. The system of claim 1, wherein the array of transducers includes ultrasonic transducers and the at least one tracking element includes ultrasonic transducer elements.   The system of claim 1, wherein the triangulation module determines a position of the at least one element by finding a true intersection between spheres having a radius defined by a time of flight from the transducer. The system of claim 5, wherein the sphere has a center that is non-collinear with respect to the at least one tracking element.   The system of claim 1, comprising an additional transducer element that provides information that distinguishes between true and symmetric intersections.   The system of claim 1, wherein the at least two dimensions include three dimensions, and a three-dimensional image of the medical image is tracked in a two-dimensional image. Wherein the at least one virtual element, Ru beamformed to prevent collinear origin relative time of flight of the signal system of claim 1. An array of transducers spaced from each other, to exchange medical device and energy to be tracked in the subject, an imaging probe having an array of said transducer for generating at least one virtual element,
A processor;
A memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory receives a signal and, in conjunction with the processor, a signal for the transducer in the array for at least one tracking element on the tracked medical device; The memory, wherein a position of the at least one tracking element is determined in at least two dimensions, and an image of the medical device and the object are provided simultaneously in a visual image;
Having a workstation. The workstation of claim 9 , wherein the triangulation module determines a position of the at least one element by finding a true intersection between spheres having a radius defined by a time of flight from the transducer. . The workstation of claim 10 , wherein the sphere has a center that is non-collinear to the at least one element. 10. The workstation of claim 9 , comprising an additional transducer that provides information that distinguishes between true and symmetric intersections. Wherein the at least one virtual element, Ru beamformed to prevent collinear origin relative time of flight of the signals A workstation according to claim 9. In a method of imaging a medical device,
Introducing into the subject a medical device that includes at least one element that exchanges energy;
Exchanging signals from a plurality of transducers arranged in an array with the at least one element , the plurality of transducers generating at least one virtual element ;
Determining a time of flight of the signal between the transducer and the at least one element;
Determining a true intersection between spheres having a radius defined by the time of flight;
Imaging the true intersection with the object to track the position of the medical device;
Having a method. 15. The method of claim 14 , comprising beamforming the transmitted signals from one or more transmitters to provide a new origin for the transmitted / received signals.